Remember When… A Decade of International Football in Retrospect (Part I)

The end of a decade. It doesn’t really mean anything does it? Do people actually still bother to organise decades into smart, distinctive categories with catch-all phrases like the ’swinging 60s’ anymore? If they do I’ve no idea how the noughties will be remembered; an abundance of technological advancements and some pretty major international crises, any got a witty adjective to capture the mood?

I must admit though, that at times like these I am definitely a sucker for the debate and nostalgia, especially when it comes to sport. Best teams of the decade, all-decade top players, 10 years of the finest beards in sport – I love it all. So as we approach 2010 it would be remiss of us not to do some reminiscing of our own on Just Football. Welcome to Remember When…, our irreverant glance at a football decade. This is Part 1:

Remember when Phil Neville’s bungling knocked England out (Euro 2000)

Let’s be honest, England’s Euro 2000 campaign was already heading into the drawer labelled ‘rubbish’ before Phil Neville’s penalty area blundering against Romania delivered the final crushing blow. A 1-0 win against an extremely average Germany side who finished bottom of England’s group papered over the cracks purely because of the result’s added gravitas derived from the two nations’ historic rivalry. Prior to that Kevin Keegan’s side lost 3-2 to Portugal having thrown away a 2-0 lead. But it was against Romania where it all fell apart. England only needed a point to qualify and looked set to get it until the 89th minute. Enter Mr. Neville jr:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6FcUJgVbXQ]

Remember when Zidane held his nerve to give France a golden gift (Euro 2000)

Anyone doubting my belief that Zinedine Zidane is the greatest player of this generation absolutely must watch this video. Already a hero in his homeland thanks to his remarkable exploits at France ‘98, Zizou turns in one of the defining performances of the decade against Portugal in the Euro 2000 semi final to almost single-handedly drag France into the final. And when Abel Xavier’s handball gifted France a penalty just three minutes before the end of extra time there was only ever going to be one man to take it. A golden goal and a platinum performance from the French master.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3pZRuMaacI]

Remember when France became World and European Champions (2000)

The golden goal was a concept eventually dropped by FIFA, and while it’s merits and faults can be discussed at length, what can be said is it certainly created an extra time culture of fear. Players were invariably too scared to express themselves, afraid of being the one who’d make the costliest of errors and teams dropped deeper and deeper as a result, leading to cautious, drab extra times. But when golden goals did come they were incredibly dramatic. David Trezeguet has never been a favourite player of mine but he was decisive here, scoring the winning goal of the Euro 2000 final against Italy with an absolute belter. Suddenly, France were champions of both Europe and the world.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14FGiW3d_hI]

Remember when Beckham took revenge (World Cup 2002)

In 1998, David Beckham became number one enemy of the people in England after his fairly tame kick out at Diego Simeone saw him sent off against Argentina in the second round of France ‘98. The media went into outraged, frenzied overdrive. Effigies were burnt, English faces contorted with rage and the young Manchester United player was subjected to some frankly vile abuse. But Beckham’s football career, like his lifestyle, is pure Hollywood – packed with tales of rejoicing, rejection and redemption and when England won a penalty against Argentina at World Cup 2002 in a tense group game, up stepped captain Becks. Eat that Simeone! Argentina went home at the group stage.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaihF8VdgUA]

Remember when Ronaldinho lobbed Seaman in Japan (2002)

In my opinion this was the defining moment of Sven Goran Eriksson’s England reign – the moment the tide turned and the weight of public opinion began to swing away from the Swede. Ronaldo de Assis Moreira was still a bright-eyed young prospect at Paris-Saint-Germain when he pulled off this magical World Cup moment in Fukuroi, Japan. Already a star in the making, the man known as Ronaldinho’s already impressive stock rose massively after this stunning goal, though he was sent off later in the game. Brazil won 2-1, David Seaman left the pitch in tears and England fans will forever be left wondering what might have happened if the team had only dared take the game to 10-man Brazil.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y70aJn7fb9Q]

Remember when Ronaldo erased the ghost of World Cup finals past (2002)

Hunger can make a man do crazy things. Ronaldo was so desperate to make up for the personal nightmare that was his 1998 World Cup final experience he went to the hairdressers and forgot to let the barber finish the job. Consequently ‘O Fenomeno’ emerged for the 2002 World Cup final with some bizarre looking, reckless, semi-cut square job of a hairdo. Not to worry. The guy can play. It was incredibly sad to witness the then best player in the world go through such a harrowing experience at the 1998 World Cup final having been given top billing on the day, so to see him put the ghosts of Paris to bed with a delightful double in the Japan 2002 final was a wonderful triumph for persistence in the face of adversity. After four years of pain, the phenomenon returns in style.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KyPphE9uu4]

To be continued in Part II…

Follow this link to head on to Part II of our International Football Decade in Review.

All-Time Greats, Brazil, David Beckham, Decade in Review, England, France, Italy, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane